title: Decellularized whole heart for bioartificial heart.
abstract: Whole-organ decellularization has opened the gates to the creation of 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) templates that mimic nature's design to a degree that-as for today-is not reproducible with any synthetic materials. Here, we describe a whole-heart decellularization approach through software-controlled automated coronary perfusion with standard decellularization detergents, enabling us to create native ECM-derived 3D templates that preserve the basic anatomy, vascular network, and critical ECM characteristics of the native heart. Such a cardiac ECM platform directly derived from nature itself might help us to better understand and reproduce cardiac biology and may even lay the grounds for the construction of a bioartificial heart in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department for Cardiovascular Surgery, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Hug
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aubin
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kranz
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hülsmann
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lichtenberg
authors.forename: Payam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Akhyari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021522:Bioartificial Organs; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D010477:Perfusion; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D008565:Membrane Proteins